After reading Princess of the Midnight Ball (a twist on Twelve Dancing Princesses) I fell in love with Jessica Day George’s writing. I assumed that Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow was another similar story that she had based on a well-known fairy tale. It has similarities to Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, but is actually based on a captivating Norwegian tale that I was unfamiliar with: East o’ the Sun, West o’ the Moon. Pika (translated as girl) is the youngest of a family of nine children and is considered a burden to her mother, who can’t even be bothered to give her child a name. After Pika’s oldest brother returns from a long journey that has changed him into a forlorn and introverted man, nothing seems to help him recover from a mysterious tragedy. In attempt to solve her brother’s problems, the lass puts her life at risk as she agrees to live for a year in the enchanted castle of a magical and terrible troll. The lass is the perfect protagonist who you can’t help but admire. The trolls are a bit scary but it’s quite amusing when you discover why they act the way they do. Twists and turns abound throughout this delightful yet eerie plot. Male and female audiences who enjoy fairy tales and magic will love this enchanting story!
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 1 mild obscenity.
Violence/Gore: Many (23) brief incidents including verbal threats; character threatened with sword; carvings of killed creatures; animal pelts used; thinking about and wanting to harm another character; story of a girl who dies; animals killed; characters receiving non-life threatening injuries; fantasy characters died; fantasy characters fighting and killing; character injured by tree; character throwing items and breaking them (out of anger).
Sex/Nudity: Several (13) brief incidents including hugging; kissing; touching face; female characters sleep in same bed as male characters (non-sexual); holding hands; female character’s bosoms bursting from the seams; insinuation that children were created.
Mature Subject Matter:
Murder and Death
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Characters drinking wine at a party; character drugged to sleep.
